


Long Awaited Moment of Repose

by nekoking



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekoking/pseuds/nekoking
Summary: [Set during the Silver Snow route. Contains spoilers for that route.]Byleth is invited to the Archbishop's room.





	Long Awaited Moment of Repose

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a while after Rhea is freed from Enbarr.

Byleth couldn’t help but be nervous whenever she was invited into the Archbishop’s room. Being in such close proximity to a figure of power was… well, normally with anyone else it wasn’t much of a bother for Byleth, but for some reason, only Rhea’s presence made her feel a certain way that she had never felt before. She would get an extreme urge to do.. _Something_, but she never knew what it was. It was puzzling.

Still, strange feelings or not, it would have been rude to turn down an invitation from the Archbishop herself. Not that she ever would turn an invitation from Rhea down - she quite enjoyed their time spent together, though given the circumstances she had not been able to for quite some time.

And so, Byleth found herself in front of the door at the appointed time - luckily, Seteth was not present, likely having been sent away temporarily at the request of Rhea specifically for this visit. She had no ill will towards Seteth, but she appreciated the moment of respite it gave her to collect her thoughts.

Summoning the courage to knock on the door, Byleth lightly rapped her knuckles on the wooden surface, announcing her arrival. She heard a shuffling sound from within before the voice of Rhea could be heard. 

“Please, enter.”

Byleth took a breath and pushed the door open. Rhea was sitting on her bed, hair brush in hand, dark circles under her eyes, when she had first been freed from her prison in Enbarr. Without her usual regal outfit and hair ornaments, Byleth was a bit surprised by how ordinary she looked, though even appearing in simple clothing Byleth admired how she remained as radiant as ever. 

“You wished to speak with me… Rhea?” Byleth felt a bit unsure of addressing her superior on a first name basis (as requested by the Archbishop herself), but Rhea seemed pleased, a gentle smile on her features. 

“Indeed, although I merely wished to chat. It’s been a long, long time since we have been able to spend much time together.” Her smile faltered for a bit, but it returned as she patted the space beside her on the bed. “Please, sit. Forgive me for my forwardness, but.. I wish to be near you, right now. I have missed your company.” Byleth nodded without hesitation. She sat down by the Archbishop and instantly felt that odd restless feeling within her, causing her hand to twitch. Desperate to have her body do something to keep the feeling at bay, she looked to the hairbrush in Rhea’s hand. “May I?” 

Rhea blinked, processing her request, then nodded and offered the brush. Byleth extended an open palm on which Rhea placed its handle and Byleth tried not to focus on the sensation of Rhea’s fingers brushing against her hand. Rhea turned her head the other way while Byleth shifted into a more comfortable sitting position.

Byleth carefully began to brush the Archbishop’s long, flowing hair, the hair brush in one hand, the other holding the underside of Rhea’s hair to keep it in place. The professor couldn’t help but marvel at its length, as well as its silkiness as it slipped through the brush with ease. Feeling it up close like this was-- Oh. She was… very close to the Archbishop now, wasn’t she? One could say almost…. Intimately?

Byleth immediately pushed that thought to the back of her mind. Just focus on your task, she told herself. Focus. Focus. Focus…

“-Professor?” Byleth looked up, surprised to see Rhea looking back at her with an amused smile. “Ah, now I have your attention. You’re quite diligent in your work - I’ve called you a few times now.” Byleth felt a hot ball of shame and embarrassment bubble within her.

“My apologies, that was rude of me.” Rhea shook her head. “It’s no bother at all. I was simply wondering if you still enjoy watching the animals that reside within the monastery after all these years.” Byleth felt a bit surprised. Rhea remembered that after all this time?

The Archbishop noticed her perplexity and looked almost sheepishly at her own hands. “I realise that it’s an odd detail from our encounters to remember, however.. You always looked so happy when you spoke of the small happenings around the monastery. I always thought it to be quite endearing.” Byleth couldn’t help but stare after hearing that. Rhea seemed to misinterpret her silence, suddenly looking nervous. 

“Oh, perhaps I spoke too much. How odd I must seem- “

“No, no, I don’t mind at all. I am just somewhat taken aback.” Byleth was quick to fix the misunderstanding. “It’s just that.. I had always been afraid that I was boring you with those uneventful stories. It isn’t often that I have anything of interest to speak of.” Rhea shook her head with confidence.

“Don’t think such things, my sweet professor.” She turned her body to face her, her hair slipping from Byleth’s grasp, and placed a warm hand on Byleth’s, the gesture filling the professor’s chest with warmth. Rhea raised her other hand to Byleth’s cheek and looked into her eyes, her gaze tender and filled with such love that Byleth couldn’t control her reddening cheeks. 

“Your company alone always fills me with such joy, whether it be in silence or with idle chatter. I want you to know that I cherish every moment that I am able to spend with you.” Her words made Byleth feel something strange in her chest, the restlessness within her slamming full force into her body. The sensation struck her with the courage to wrap her arms around the Archbishop and almost crash into her, joining her lips with Rhea’s.

Ah, now she understood that strange feeling within her. 

She just really,_ really_ wanted to kiss Rhea.

Unsurprisingly, a sound of utter shock came from Rhea. It took a second for Byleth to realise what exactly it was that she was doing, pulling away as quickly as she had leaned in, the temporary tranquility within her dissipating. Rhea’s face was flushed, eyes wide, her hand reaching up to touch her lips. Byleth, though stony faced, was going through much inner turmoil as she prepared for the consequences of her bold actions. 

There was a moment of silence between the two when Rhea spoke up. “I… was honestly not expecting that. You are very good at catching me off guard.” Her voice was a slightly higher pitch than usual. Byleth looked down, unable to look Rhea in the eye. “Am I in trouble?”

She felt a hand stroke her hair, the gesture slow yet not intimidating. Byleth felt Rhea lean forward to wrap her arms around Byleth’s neck, her head resting on the professor’s shoulder. 

“Of course not, my sweet Byleth.” She whispered lovingly. Byleth felt a tingle down her spine like an electric current. That was the first time Rhea had ever referred to her by name.

The professor raised her arms and returned her embrace, hiding her red face as she lay her head on Rhea's shoulder.

**Author's Note:**

> you may now call me popefucker69 i love rhea so MUCH her support conversations are so pure i die  
also im sorry if this sucked i dont write very often hgkjdgk


End file.
